Pruning-hook.



m-sWacaEs.

PRUNING HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,- 1909.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

UNITED STATES J OHN SWEGLES, OF WAYNE, MICHIGAN.

PRU'NING-HOOK;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

Application filed June 17, 1909." Serial No. 502,767.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, Joniv SwneLns, a citizen of'the United States, residing at'IVayne, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a-new and useful Pruning-Hook, of which the following is'a speciiication.

The objects of the invention are, generally, the provision in a merchantable form of a device of the class above mentioned which shall be'inexpensive to manufacture, facile in operation, and devoid of complicated parts; specifically, the provision of a device comprising cooperating-jaws adapted tobe mounted upon a supporting member, the weight of the-means whereby the aws are assembled withthe supporting member normally tendingto hold said jaws apart, and the supporting member being operable by tractile effort to move the said jaws-into cooperating relation; other and further ob jects being made manifest hereinafter as the description of the invention progresses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiar features of the device, itbeing understood, that, within the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the severeal figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 shows my invention in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a fragmental edge elevation; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional plan.

In carrying out my invention, I provide primarily a supporting member denoted by the numeral 1. This supporting member is shown in the form of a rod or pole with which the remaining portions of the device are assembled, it being understood that the length of this supporting member will be dictated by the exigencies of the proposed use, it being readily observed when the construction and operation of the device is more clearly understood, that one supporting 'member may be removed and anotherof different length substituted therefor.

, Adjacent'its-upper extremity,the supporting member'l-is slot-ted to form arms 12, between whichis mounted one extremity of'a glever 2, a-pivotal union between the lever 2 and the supporting member 1 being effected by means-of apintle 3 which ispassed trans- Iversely through the arms 12 and through the ;portion of the lever 2 which is located therefbetween. Intermediate the inner and the gouter ends of-thelever 2 is pivoted the upper *extremity of an arm 4 which, extending downwardly, and flexing inwardly toward the supporting -member I, carries at its'lower lextremity, a' head*5 adapted to inclose the isupporting member 1 and'to slide thereon. Intermediateits'ends, the arm4-is provided @with an outstanding 111g 14 to which is pivjoted, intermediate its ends, a movable jaw 7 ';which isarranged to extend transversely Zacross the arm 4 with which it is assembled. ETheportionofthe movable jaw 7 which is gdisposed between the arm 4 and the supportingmemberl issomewhat longer than the portion of the movable jawwhich lies beyond :the arm, so that the said movable jaw may be provided with an effective power arm, which in the drawings, is numeral 8.

Projecting outwardly from the arm 4 below the lug 14 is a fixed jaw 6, in the present instance shown integral with the arm 4 from which it extends. A link 9 is provided, extending across the arm 4, one end of the said link being pivotally assembled with the outer end of the lever 2, the other end of the link being pivotally assembled with the inner end of the portion 8 of the jaw 7. The cutting edge 10 of the movable jaw 7 is downwardly convexed, the cutting edge 1.1 of the fixed jaw (3 being concaved toward the arm 4 so that when the jaws 6 and 7 cooperate to lop off a branch from a tree, the branch will tend normally, to move inwardly toward the arm 4 under the action of the jaws, the possibility of the limb slipping from the grip of the jaws being thereby avoided.

The weight of the arm 4 and of the other members whereby the jaws are assembled with the supporting element 1 normally tends to cause the head 5 to slide downwardly upon the supporting member 1, whereby the jaws 6 and 7 will be forced apart i when the device is not in use.

denoted bythe When it is desired to prune a tree, the limb thereof which it is desired to remove is introduced between the jaws 6 and 7 which, as hereinbefore pointed out, stand normally apart. A downward pull upon the supporting member 1 will cause the head 5 to slide upward thereon, the link 9, owing to the length of the power arm 8 of the movable jaw 7, causing the said jaw 7 to cooperate with the jaw 6, readily cutting away the limb. WVhen the cutting operation is completed, and the limb falls awayfrom the jaws, the weight of the assembling parts will cause separation of the jaws, the device being thereby positioned for a repetition of the operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 2- 1. A device of the class described comprising a supporting member; a lever pivotally assembled adjacent one end with the supporting member; an arm pivoted adjacent one end to the lever and arranged at the other end to slide upon the supporting memher; a fixed jaw carried by the arm; a movable jaw carried by the arm; and means assembling the movable jaw with the lever for bringing the jaws into cooperating relation upon the application of tractile eflort to the supporting member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a supporting member; a lever pivoted adjacent one end to the supporting member; an arm pivoted adjacent one end to the lever and at the other end arranged to slide upon the supporting member; a fixed aw carried by the arm; a movable jaw carried by the arm; and means assembling the movable jaw with the lever for bringing the jaws into cooperating relation upon the application of tractile effort to the supporting member; the weight of the arm normally operating to hold the aws apart.

3. A device of the class described comprising a supporting member; a lever pivoted adjacent one end to the supporting member; an arm pivoted adjacent one end to the lever intermediate the ends thereof, and at the other end arranged to slide upon the supporting member; a fixed jaw carried by the arm; a movable jaw pivoted intermediate its ends upon the arm; and a link pivotally uniting the free end of the lever with one end of the movable jaw.

4. A device of the class described comprising a supporting member; a lever pivoted at its inner end to the supporting member; an arm pivotally assembled adjacent one end with the lever intermediate the ends thereof and at the other end arranged to slide upon the supporting member; a fixed aw carried by the arm; a movable jaw pivoted intermediate its ends upon the arm and arranged to extend across the same; and a link extending across the arm and forming a pivotal connection between the inner end of the movable jaw and the outer end of the lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SWVEGLES.

Witnesses:

A. F. SMITH, D. L. ADAMS. 

